


Supernatural S15: Alternate Ending

by sorrelstick



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence, Character Revival, Love Confessions, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Requited Love, Season 15 Finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27657962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorrelstick/pseuds/sorrelstick
Summary: This is an "alternate" ending to Supernatural, but still a work in progress. Essentially, this revolves around Castiel getting the ending he deserves, amongst other things like defeating Chuck, reviving old characters, and all around just a more consistent plot. I hope you enjoy!Side Note: This fic starts from the point of Castiel's love confession. I've written it exactly as it is in the show, but with some minor changes towards the end of the scene. Everything after that is my original work/ideas from the fandom.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	1. The Beginning of the End

“It was Chuck all along.”

Dean raised his head, hope fading from his eyes as his shoulders went slack, and another otherworldly knock banged against the wooden door. Cas stepped toward him, seemingly unfocused and repeatedly looking behind him to where Billie stood just on the other side of the barricade.

“We never should’ve left Sam and Jack- we should be there with ‘em now.”

Another knock on the door; Castiel glanced down to the floor, pondering, while Dean straightened up and gripped the chair tightly.

“Everybody’s gonna die, Cas. Everybody. I can’t stop it.” 

The banging continued, the blood sigil on the door barely keeping the reaper at bay. Cas turned at the sound, with worry and fear churning in his stomach. Dean walked around the chair towards him, solemnly keeping his gaze ahead at the door.

“She’s gonna get through that door.” 

“I know.” Cas whispered.

“And she’s gonna kill you, and then she’s gonna kill me.”

Another rhythmic knock interrupted the silence, while Cas looked up with an expression of shame as he finally came to terms with what was to come. 

Dean continued, “I’m sorry.” 

Both of them were silent, until Castiel raised his head with newfound determination tinted by pain and sorrow. He swallowed, speaking as the rest of his thoughts came together,

“But there is- there’s one thing she’s afraid of- there’s one thing-  _ strong _ enough to stop her.” Dean furrowed his brow and swallowed, quizzically watching the angel. He continued, “When Jack was dying, I- I made a deal. To save him.” 

“You what?” 

“The price was my life. When I experienced a true moment of happiness, the Empty would be summoned and it would take me forever.” 

Dean’s eyes widened and he shook his head, refusing to believe what he was hearing. “Why are you telling me this now?” 

Another bang on the door. Castiel stepped forth, his eyes glazed with oncoming tears and his stance almost one of relief. 

“I always wondered, ever since I took that burden, that curse, I wondered  _ what _ it could be- what my true happiness could even look like. And I never found an answer. Because the one thing I want… it’s something I know I can’t have. But I think I know- I think I know now. Happiness isn’t in the having, it’s in just being. It’s in just saying it.”

Dean squinted in confusion, shaking his head again. “What are you talkin’ about, man?”

Cas smiled and came closer, tears brimming in his ocean-blue eyes. “I know. I know how you see yourself, Dean. You see yourself the same way our enemies see you. You’re destructive, and you’re angry, and you’re broken, you’re- you’re ‘Daddy’s blunt instrument’. And you think that hate and anger, that’s- that’s what drives you. That’s who you are. It’s not. And everyone who knows you sees it.

Everything that you have ever done, the good and the bad, you have done for love. You raised your little brother for love- you fought for this whole  _ world _ for love. That is who you are. You’re the most caring man on Earth. You are the most selfless, loving human being I will ever know. You know, ever since we met, ever since I pulled you outta Hell- knowing you has changed me. Because you cared, I cared. I cared about you. I cared about Sam, I cared about Jack- but I cared about the whole world because of you. You changed me, Dean.”

Cas sniffled and made no attempt to fight back the tears that fell down his grinning face, all while Dean solemnly gazed at him in disbelief and confusion. 

“Why does this sound like a goodbye?” 

“Because it is.” Cas inhaled, never dropping eye contact. “I love you.”

Dean continued to shake his head, fighting back tears and shoving all emotion he could down. “Don’t do this, Cas.” he gently begged, as Billie’s knocking grew more and more aggressive behind them. 

Castiel only smiled and shook his head as a hole of ink opened in the wall behind Dean with a wet, dripping sound. The door was finally thrown open to reveal the angered mistress of Death, sending a shiver of fear up Dean’s spine.

“Cas-” 

Cas laid his hand on Dean’s shoulder, gently murmuring “Goodbye, Dean.” as he shoved him out of harm's way. 

Billie sauntered in with her scythe, while Dean clutched his shoulder to feel the bloody handprint that mirrored the burn from some long forgotten dream. He watched helplessly as the Empty reached out with dripping black tentacles, wrapping Castiel in it’s tender embrace. He welcomed the touch, simply breathing into it as he peacefully closed his eyes. A second tentacle shot out and captured Billie in a tighter, less merciful embrace, sucking both of them into its soulless abyss. 

In just a blink, the Empty was gone, and Dean was alone. He sat in the silence, absorbing the shock of what he had just witnessed. His gaze turned down to the floor and he curled up into a ball, hugging his legs as defeat washed over his body in an overwhelming wave. Hours seemingly passed, when his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He pulled out the phone, and as Sam’s name flashed across the screen, he felt the full weight of grief and guilt build up, and threw his phone against the wall. The screen shattered, but the ringing continued to echo out into the stone chamber. 

Dean closed his eyes and buried his face in his knees, letting the waves of sorrow crash over him and spill out from the drowning forest in his eyes. Wave after wave continued to envelop him, and his cries sang a tune of despair into the empty world until there was nothing but silence.

... 

Emptiness stretched across the horizon as far as they could see. A playground creaked with the shadows of children who had just suddenly… disappeared. Restaurants sat hauntingly bare, and abandoned cars had crashed into yards, electric poles, streetlamps; anything that was in their path. Groceries and strollers were left abandoned by benches or in the middle of the sidewalk, with no trace of their owners anywhere to be found. 

Sam shook his head in disbelief as he and Jack wandered along the vast street, searching for any sign of a living soul left behind in the rapture. He frowned and pulled out his phone, making another attempt to call his brother. The phone rang for a while, and just when he thought Dean might answer, he was sent to his voicemail once more. He sighed and nibbled nervously on his nails, looking out across the deserted world. 

_ Where is he? _ Sam thought to himself, struggling to fight against the roaring anxiety in his chest and remain outwardly calm for Jack’s sake. However, this attempted charade didn’t fool the young nephilim, who tilted his head to quizzically analyse Sam’s behaviour.

“Has Dean still not called?” he asked. 

Sam shook his head. “He’s not answering his phone- what if something happened to him and Cas? We’ve gotta go looking for them-” He turned to look around, hoping that the two of them would show up any moment, but he was still met with deafening silence.

Jack frowned, turning his gaze towards the pavement as he attempted to sense Castiel’s grace. However, as hard as he concentrated, he could feel nothing. He closed his eyes and focused harder, reaching out with every fibre of his being to find his father. Still, the attempt was in vain. 

“Something’s wrong.” he began, opening his eyes. “I can’t feel Cas. Something’s gone wrong, Sam.” 

Sam furrowed his brow, continuing to look around for any sign of Dean or Castiel. “No, no- they’re on their way, Jack. Everything’s going to be fine.” He sounded unsure of himself.

Jack shook his head. “No, Sam, something is wrong. Everything is wrong. Everyone’s gone, and if Dean and Cas don’t come back, we might be the only ones left.” 

“No! No- no. If something was wrong, Dean would reach out and answer my calls.” 

“He hasn’t answered your calls. You’ve been sent to his voicemail at least ten times.” 

“I know, but-” 

Suddenly, they were interrupted by the relieving roar of the impala as she came around the corner down the street, making her way towards them. Sam let out a breathless laugh as he sprinted towards the car as it came to a stop along the curb, but Jack followed suit less enthusiastically. The engine went silent, and Dean stepped out of the driver’s seat slowly, quietly closing the door behind him.

Sam slowed to a stop in front of his brother, looking around hopefully. “Where’s Cas?”

Dean solemnly shook his head, clenching his hands to fists at his sides. “He’s gone.” 

“What?” 

“He’s gone.” 

Sam shook his head in disbelief, searching Dean’s eyes for some trace of a lie, but there was none. His eyes trailed down to the bloody handprint on his shoulder, and it finally clicked. He looked down, fighting back tears until Dean spoke up again.

“But we’re gonna get him back.” 

Sam’s head shot up. “How? You said-” 

“I know.” Dean interrupted, the sorrow in his eyes replaced with a fire of determination and wrath. “But I’m not gonna let him go that easily. We’ve lost him before, but never again. We’re going to the Empty to get him back.” 

Sam turned to Jack to share a bewildered look, before he turned back towards Dean to counter, “I don’t think a human has ever gone to the Empty, Dean. What about Chuck? Look around you, Dean, everyone is gone-” 

“This isn’t about everyone else!” Dean yelled, quieting Sam. “Cas is family! He’s- he’s  _ more _ than family! Family don’t end in blood, and Cas isn’t the exception. Maybe no human has ever gone to the Empty, but what about Jack? Jack isn’t human.” 

The brothers turned to look at Jack, who tilted his head and squinted in thought. Dean continued, “Jack’s been in and out of the Empty no problem, he can get us in there and he can get us out.” 

Sam shook his head. “But it was Billie who sent him there and brought him back, Dean. If Cas is gone, Billie must be gone too?” Dean opened his mouth to retort, but Sam interrupted him to continue, “We still have to worry about Chuck, whether you like it or not. We won’t be able to save Cas if Chuck gets to us first, and then we won’t be able to save the rest of the world.” 

“To Hell with the rest of the world!” Dean growled, tensing up his shoulders. “The rest of the world ain’t family! Chuck can go fuck himself until we find Cas and bring him back!” 

“Dean-!” 

“I can do it.” 

They stopped to look at Jack, who had been quietly standing off to the side as they argued. He took a deep breath and began to explain, “Dean’s right. Cas is family, and if we’re going to save the whole world, we might need his help. I can find a way to get into the Empty and bring him back- maybe I can bring some others too. When Billie sent me there, I created an explosion that ‘made it loud’... so everyone in there has to be awake or something.” 

“Everyone?” Sam questioned. Jack nodded. 

“The Empty is where all angels go, so we might be able to assemble a whole army against God. That way it’s not just us three trying to face this alone.” 

Sam furrowed his brow and turned to Dean, who looked impressed with Jack’s idea. He nodded and turned to Sam with a new gleam of hope.

“This could work, Sam. We’ll head to the Empty and-” 

“Dean, I think I should go alone.” 

Dean blinked, staring at the nephilim. “What?” 

“It’s not safe for you guys there. No human has ever been in the Empty, and who knows what could happen to you. I- don’t want to lose you guys too.” The brothers’ gazes softened, while Jack rubbed his arm and resumed, “As hypocritical as it sounds, I think you’d be safer if you went after Chuck. If I can round everyone up fast enough, we can come get you if he has you cornered. With the power I’ve absorbed, and the power of the angels in the Empty, maybe even the Empty itself- we can take him down. For good.” 

Dean nodded approvingly, but Sam still remained hesitant. “What if this all goes wrong? Chuck is trying to destroy everything, and I’m sure he won’t stop to make us disappear next.” 

“Not unless we stop him first.” Jack interjected, stepping closer to them. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you guys. I’ll get all the help I can find before I let him hurt you, got it?” 

Dean nodded again, turning to Sam expectantly for an answer. Sam looked at the two of them, before finally giving in with a sigh. 

“Alright. Let’s do it.” 

They all nodded, but Sam followed up with another question, “But how are we going to send you to the Empty if Billie is gone?” 

Dean looked down at the road, unsure. Jack scrunched up his nose in thought, looking around as if the desolate surroundings would provide an answer. He was silent, thinking for a moment, before an idea came to mind.

“What if I just- asked?” 

“Asked the Empty to take you?” Sam questioned. 

Jack looked up to the sky, answering, “Yeah. Castiel was able to convince the Empty to send him back here, so maybe if I just asked, it could take me there.” 

Dean shook his head. “What if you get stuck there, huh? Nobody’s making any more deals to get back outta there, you hear? No more self-sacrificing bullshit with that thing.” 

Sam perked up as another idea came to mind. “What about Death? If Billie’s gone, there’s gotta be a replacement by now. Maybe if we can find the new Death, they can send Jack there and bring him back without even having to talk to the Empty.” 

His brother scoffed. “The  _ last _ Death didn’t even like us, so who’s to bet that the new one will do what we ask them to do?” 

“We have to at least  _ try _ , Dean.” 

“Try all we want, but we’re still gonna have to find them first.” He gestured to the vast, empty world around them. “How do you think we’re gonna summon Death with all this nothingness to go through?” 

“We’ve summoned Death before. We can find that spell we used to summon the first Death all those years ago, and Jack’s got the power to help us do that. “ 

“How are we gonna  _ find _ that damn spell? Do we just conveniently have it laying around somewhere?”

Sam shrugged, “Well, maybe we do. We’ll go back to the bunker to look for the spell, assemble everything we need, and once we cast it, Death will do whatever we need them to do.” 

Dean rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Don’t we need a uh- an act of God? Whatever that thing is called-” 

“Fulgurite?” 

“Yeah, that. Where are we supposed to find one of those? Chuck ain’t exactly gonna give us one for free.” 

Jack tilted his head, looking down at his hands. “Where does fulgurite come from?” 

Sam cleared his throat and answered, “It’s uh- when lightning hits the sand at the right place and forms a crystal. Those are supposed to be pretty rare, so it won’t be easy to find one.” 

Jack nodded, glancing around and thinking. Dean sighed, following Jack’s gaze and shifting his weight to his other foot as he too tried to come up with another idea. He kept looking around as if some sort of answer would appear, but they were still met with nothing but loneliness that stretched on forever. 

Jack interrupted the silence, “Then I guess asking the Empty is our only option.” 

“No.” Dean growled, tensing up. “You’re not negotiating with that thing.” 

“Dean,” Sam interjected, “we don’t have a choice here. It’ll be impossible to track down another fulgurite to bind Death, and even more impossible to negotiate with them. We’re running out of time and we need to find a solution before Chuck gets ahead.” 

Dean opened his mouth to argue, but as he happened to glance around, he realised Jack had disappeared. “Jack?” 

The two brothers looked around, but Jack was nowhere to be found. They searched up and down the street, calling out his name, but there was no answer. Dean angrily tugged on his hair and began to pace, muttering curses under his breath. Sam reached out to try and calm him down, but Dean yanked himself away. 

“How many people are we going to lose before this gets fixed?! Did Chuck take him too? Or did- did Jack decide to ask the Empty to take him? I told him not to!” 

“I know you did.” Sam reassured, leaning down to try and make eye contact. “But it was probably for the best-” 

“‘For the best’?! He could  _ die _ in there or worse! Then we get nobody back and we lose! That’s what Chuck wants!” 

“Chuck can’t control the Empty, Dean! That thing existed long before him and Amara- and Death even. The Empty is its own entity, and Jack is his own entity too. You’ve gotta trust him, Dean.” 

Dean let out a shaky inhale, shaking his head as he buried his face in his hands. “I don’t wanna lose anyone else, Sam. What if I lose you next? Then what?” Sam was silent, but Dean continued, “Then it’s just me on this- this big ol’ rock, all alone. I don’t know what I’d do if you-”

“Hey hey, I’m not going anywhere, okay? We’re gonna do this together, and we’re gonna save everybody. You just need to trust me, and to trust Jack. Okay?” 

Dean went quiet, hugging his arms and staring at the cracked pavement. Sam reached out to pat his shoulder, and pulled him in for a hug, which Dean reluctantly returned. They stood like that for a while, until Dean eventually let go and moved away. He cleared his throat and reached into his pocket, grabbing the keys to the impala. 

He looked Sam dead in the eyes, stating firmly, “Let’s go kill God.”

... 

Hours later night had fallen, leaving Sam and Dean alone to stare up at the starless night on the hood of the impala in an old, rotting parking lot. They had acquired a pack of beer from an equally empty drugstore on the way, and were each drinking from a bottle. Sam looked over at his brother, noting that he was chugging the alcohol like there was no tomorrow. In their situation, that was a likely possibility, but Sam knew that more was bothering him. He hadn’t taken off the jacket with the bloody handprint, even though he had plenty of clean jackets at the bunker, and a spare coat in the back. 

Sam sighed, setting his beer down next to him, “So- if you don’t mind me asking- what happened back there with you and Cas?”

Dean stiffened up, taking one last gulp of his beer before chucking the bottle across the lot so it shattered. Sam jolted at the sound, but Dean seemed overly nonchalant as he opened a second beer and took a swig. He gulped, glancing up at Sam with tired eyes before he sighed and began to explain.

“Cas- Cas made a deal with the Empty. When he first saved Jack- he was gonna let the Empty take him when he was happy.” Dean took another sip before continuing, “So he was miserable this whole damn time and I never saw it. Some friend I am- if that’s what he still sees me as.” 

Sam raised an eyebrow, but Dean only shook his head and chugged more alcohol. They were silent for a while, until Sam finally pressed for more details, “And- what did he do that made him happy?” 

The hunter clenched tightly to the beer bottle, closing his eyes and mustering up the courage to just say it. After a long pause, he finally replied, “He told me he loved me.” 

Sam visibly flinched, as if Dean’s pain had latched onto him and was affecting him directly, too. He opened his mouth to reply, but Dean interrupted him with a continuation of his previous statement, “I didn’t get to say it back.” 

Sam’s face froze and he looked up with wide eyes in disbelief. “You mean you-?” 

“Yeah.” Dean answered, clearing his throat. “I should’ve told him. I should’ve told him  _ years _ ago, but I was scared. You know how Dad was with that whole thing and- I hated myself for it. I guess that was always there no matter what I tried to do, and now I have to live with the consequences of being afraid for so long.” 

“Dean, it wasn’t your fault. You weren’t ready to tell the world, and Cas made the choice himself to go to the Empty.”

“Cas didn’t  _ have _ a choice, Sam, but I did. And I made the wrong choice.” 

Sam sighed, sipping his beer before he turned to completely face his brother. “Alright, neither of you had a choice. That isn’t anybody’s fault here, okay? Things happened that were out of our control, but we’re going to fix it. You yourself decided we were gonna go save Cas from the Empty.” 

Dean let out a dry laugh, opening a third beer and shaking his head. “Jack went there alone, Sam, and I’m scared he might not come back. I’m scared that Cas won’t come back. I’m scared that Chuck is gonna take everything from us until all the hope is sucked dry.” 

“And it’s okay to be afraid, Dean.” Sam reassured, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I’m scared too. We’ve got the whole weight of the world on our shoulders, and it’s a lot. But we’re gonna pull through this like we always have, and things will go back to the way they were.” 

“I don’t want things to go back to how they were.” Dean replied, rubbing his face with the beer bottle in his hand. “I want things to be  _ better _ than they were. I want Cas with me.” 

“I know.” 

“So you’re not mad about any of this?” 

“Why would I be mad? I’ve been watching the way you two look at each other for  _ years _ . I’m really only surprised it took this long for either of you to say something on it.” 

Dean chuckled dryly, taking a long swig of his third beer. “Well how was I supposed to know angels can feel human emotions?” 

Sam raised an eyebrow and mused, “You’re a dumbass.”

“Oh I know, Sammy.” 

Sam rolled his eyes and nudged his shoulder playfully, and both of them laughed for the first time in what felt like forever. Whether it was the alcohol making them giddy or the need to pretend to feel something other than sorrow, they still laughed. They talked about Castiel and Jack until the sun began to rise, when the two of them finally fell asleep on the hood of the impala, facing skyward. It would be the last peaceful moment they would know in some time.

...


	2. Recruiting the Troops

It was the middle of the afternoon by the time they’d gotten up and started the day. Sam and Dean returned to the bunker for new clothes and a very late “breakfast”, then headed out in the impala on the search for God. A few hours in they stopped for a bathroom break at a gas station, with Sam waiting outside while Dean went in to do his business. On his way out, he heard a whine from under a crate, and cautiously went to investigate. 

He crouched down and peered under the crate, brightening up when he realised it was a scared bearded collie that had somehow been left behind in the rapture. Dean looked around for an owner or someone attending to the dog, but found none. He turned back to the dog with a grin, whistling and beckoning with his hand for him to come closer.

“C’mere sweetheart, lemme get a good look at you-” he cooed, picking him up. “How did Chuck miss you? You’re a- Miracle. C’mon, Miracle, let’s get back to Sam. He’s gonna be thrilled!”

Carrying the collie triumphantly, Dean strode back to the impala with a goofy grin as he called out, “Sammy! Look what I found!” 

Sam glanced over and raised an eyebrow. “You found a dog?” 

“Sure did!” Dean beamed, heading over to the passenger’s side to put Miracle down in the front seat. “We’re taking him with us.” 

“Mm, right.” Sam mused, shrugging his shoulders. “So you’re chill if he sheds all over the seat?” 

“Sam it’s the end of the world, I could care less about whether or not Miracle sheds on the seat.” 

“You already named him?” 

“It’s fitting.”

Dean climbed into the driver’s seat, while Sam climbed into the passenger’s seat next to him, making sure Miracle had plenty of room in the middle. They continued their search for God, driving into the vast countryside until night fell again and they stopped in another parking lot. By the time they’d reached the lot, Miracle had fallen asleep on Sam’s lap, and he’d kept himself perfectly still to avoid waking him up, while Dean kept yawning and rubbing his eyes.

He put the car in park and climbed out, making a beeline for the trunk. He popped open the trunk, grabbing the last beer from the cardboard holder and opening it with his pocket knife before taking a long swig. It was warm and less-than-pleasant, but suitable enough for the moment. He climbed back into the driver’s seat with a sigh, glancing over at Sam and Miracle.

“He likes you.” he observed, sipping his beer. 

“Yeah, I suppose he does.” Sam replied with a tired exhale, glancing out the window. “I’m surprised Chuck hasn’t-” 

“Don’t jinx it!” Dean interrupted, pointing at him with his beer bottle. “Miracle’s the only good thing we have right now and I don’t want anything to happen to him.” 

Sam nodded, and the two of them remained silent for a while as Dean drank his beer and Miracle continued to sleep. Sam shifted his gaze to the windshield, looking up to the night sky.

“You think Jack’s figured it out yet?” 

His brother shrugged, sipping his alcohol. “If he has, he’s taking one hell of a long time.” 

Sam pursed his lips. “Well, it’s not going to be easy for him to get back, Dean.” 

“I know that! That’s why I didn’t want him going by himself in the first place!”

“Well somebody  _ had _ to do something! Nothing was going to get done if we kept standing there, arguing about what to do next!” 

“But it should be  _ me _ that saves Cas! He saved me from Hell and it’s only right that I be the one who saves him from the goddamn Empty!” Dean blurted out, clutching tightly to the beer bottle as his eyes widened with guilt and anger. Sam went silent, but Dean continued, “Cas has helped us, helped  _ me _ so many times, and what have I given him in return? Practically nothing. He’s been miserable this whole fucking time and it’s my fault for not showing him I care, when I  _ do _ . I care so damn much, Sam! And what have I got to show for it? Nothing.” 

“That’s not true, Dean!” 

“Then tell me, Sam. What have I done for him? Huh? What have I done to show I care?”

“Have you forgotten Purgatory, Dean? You spent ages there to look for him, and not once did you ever give up. No matter what, you’ve never given up on him.” This time it was Dean’s turn to be silent, listening as Sam explained, “You love him, and I’m sure he knows that. Do you think he'd've stuck around so long if he hadn’t known? You both look out for each other, and you  _ saved _ each other in small ways.” 

Dean shook his head, sipping his beer. “It’s not enough.”

“There’s time to change things, Dean. We’re going to get Cas back, and we’ll be able to sort this out.” 

Dean chuckled dryly, continuing to shake his head. He opened his mouth to retort, but Miracle suddenly sat up, looking out the windshield with a whine. The brothers turned to follow his gaze, where a shadow had exited the trees and was slowly approaching the car. Dean quickly turned the keys in the ignition to get the headlights going, revealing the shadowy figure to be the archangel Michael, still wearing the scrawny body of Adam Milligan. His face was pale, his eyes far more sunken, and his shoes were caked in mud as if he’d been walking for miles.

The Winchesters exited the car, with Miracle following suit on Sam’s side, and stood on either side as Michael stepped closer. The archangel stopped, tilting his head and staring at them with a soulless gaze.

“So I’ve finally found you.” he said, straightening up to a more dominant stance. “I was almost worried that he had taken you too.” 

“Bullshit. You probably would’ve celebrated.” Dean replied.

The corners of Michael’s mouth twitched, but he kept his expression neutral. “Perhaps. Regardless, it’s entertaining to see the two of you carelessly wandering alone with a dog.” 

Michael looked down at Miracle, causing Sam to step in front of him protectively. “What are you doing here, Michael?” 

The archangel tilted his head, straightening his stance as he answered, “I’m in the same position as you; powerless and left to wander this miserable rock as it floats through space.” 

“Powerless?” Sam questioned. Michael half-nodded.

“Well, not entirely so. My powers have been severely weakened, and I’ve been grounded for weeks now, as you can probably tell. No doubt your disobedience is to blame for that.” 

Sam went quiet, but Dean shot back, “We ain’t about obeying some deadbeat God. We’re gettin’ ourselves some free will, whether dicks with wings such as you like it or not. Not just for us, either. We’re gettin’ this whole damn planet some free will. All of humankind, and the angels like Cas who deserve a life beyond being some holy puppet.”

Michael tilted his head in amusement, making intense eye contact with Dean as he replied nonchalantly, “So you’ve finally figured it out? Why Castiel follows you around like a lost animal?” 

“That’s none of your business.” 

“Castiel is my brother, in case you’ve forgotten. What’s his business is mine.” Michael stepped closer, looking between the brothers and peeking into the impala. “Speaking of Castiel, where’s he run off to? And what about the half-breed? Did they finally realise it was pointless to keep fighting against destiny?” 

Dean snarled, stomping towards Michael and shoving himself right in his face as he growled, “Don’t you talk about them like that. Don’t you dare. Both of them are out doing the work you’re too much of a coward to do, and maybe if you had the guts you’d follow their example.” 

Michael sighed, furrowing his brow and glaring down at the Winchester. “Maybe that’s also why I’m here. Adam is gone, and I’m looking to get him back. Unfortunately, you seem to be the only ones who have any idea on how to do that.” 

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, each raising an eyebrow before they turned back to Michael. “Why should we help  _ you _ ?”

The angel was silent for a moment, before taking a deep breath and replying, “All I want is to be left alone, and the only way I’m going to get that at this point is if I go against my father. With that goal in mind, I have no choice but to work with you.” 

“How can we trust you?” Sam asked, shaking his head. “How do we know you’re not working for God and you’ll just stab us in the backs later?” 

“Perhaps I’ve reached a point of desperation.” Michael answered. “In this weakened state, how could I possibly offer anything to my father? As much as I dislike you, God has abandoned me on this planet, and without Adam, I am alone.”

Dean squinted, pursing his lips and straightening up. “You better watch yourself. One wrong move and we ditch you in the middle of nowhere.” 

“Dean are you sure-?” 

“He’s got a point. Nobody had a choice anymore. If we want our free will, we gotta follow what we’ve got until we get there.” Dean turned back to Michael with a cold glare. “Get in the car.”

… 

They’d driven back to the bunker with Michael in handcuffs in the backseat, now trying to figure out what their next plan was. They were exhausted, but that didn’t stop them from scouring the library for some sort of answers on what could defeat God. Michael lazily sat at the map table, pointing out all of the places he’d been so far.

“Recently I was in Cairo, quite a nice place if I do say so myself. Perhaps once you two stop bothering everyone, you could vacation there and stay there.” 

“Will you shut up, man?” Dean snapped, slamming his book shut. “You’re supposed to be looking through those books.”

Michael rolled his eyes and looked down at the books in front of him, grabbing one of them and running his fingers over the title. “None of these books will be of any use to you.” 

“Then why didn’t you say that ages ago?” Dean growled, tossing the book he was holding down on the table. 

Michael smirked. “It’s entertaining to watch you struggle.” 

Sam cleared his throat and interrupted, “Can you two stop going at each other’s throats every five seconds? We’re supposed to be working on this together.” 

“Michael ain’t working with the rest of us, Sam, he’s just here because he’s bored.” 

“I already explained to you why I’m here.” Michael sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes. “Just because I’m willing to participate doesn’t mean I’m here to enjoy it.”

“None of us are having fun, you asshole!”

“Guys!” Sam interjected, holding his hands out. “Focus! Michael, if these books aren’t going to help us, then what will?”

The archangel glanced over at Sam with a tired expression, replying, “What about that one very important book you got from Death’s reading room? The one that details how to kill God?”

“We have that book, but we can’t read it. Only Death can.” Sam answered, turning around to grab the book off a shelf. “With Billie gone, we don’t have access to the information in here.” 

“So why not summon the new Death? I’m sure there’s a replacement by now who’s bored out of their mind with the lack of dying going on around here.” 

“Yeah right, like we can just summon Death on a whim. We already threw that idea out the window since we don’t have the spell to make sure they won’t backstab us later on.” Dean quipped, glaring daggers at Michael. 

“Maybe the new Death is nicer.” Michael suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

Sam tilted his head and squinted at the archangel questioningly. “Do you- do you  _ know _ who the new Death is?” 

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. You know her, though, I think.” 

The brothers exchanged a glance, with Dean slamming his hands down and demanding, “You better tell us where she is right now, or you’re just wasting our time.” 

Michael raised his hands within the restraints of the cuffs, replying, “Well I don’t know  _ where _ she is, I just know she’s there. Perhaps if you asked nicely she would come and say hello.” 

Dean sighed, clenching his fists on the table before looking up around the room and grumbling, “Alright Death, if you’re as nice as Michael says, could you maybe give us a hand here? Your own existence might be at stake if you don’t do anything to help with this mess.”

There was silence, and no one said anything for a while. Dean was about to claim defeat, when he felt someone breathe down his neck and he jolted to the side. He turned to see who it was, and his eyes widened upon recognising her as Jessica, the reaper who had appeared to him when he'd first committed suicide. 

She smiled softly, “Hi Dean.” 

“Jessica? You’re-?”

“The new Death, yes.” 

Sam cleared his throat, addressing her, “Have you still been watching us like- like a ‘baby monitor’?”

“Violet was supposed to take on that job, wasn’t she?” Jessica pointed out, to which neither of the brothers had an answer. She sighed, continuing, “Well, I suppose things with death and monitoring are a bit complicated at the moment, so I understand.”

“Wait a minute,” Dean began, raising a finger. “How long have you been Death? And have you been watching us struggle this entire time?” 

“I’m supposed to take a hands-off approach.” 

“Can’t you make an exception?” Sam chimed in. “The world is sort of ending and we need your help.” 

She solemnly shook her head, looking a bit conflicted. “I don’t know if I can.”

“But you came to us anyways when we called.” Dean observed, squinting at her. “You’re one of the few supernatural beings that doesn’t actively want to kill us right now, and you’re  _ Death _ . We could really use all the help we can get.” 

Jessica was silent, looking around in thought before she finally replied, “I just didn’t want you to feel like I’m ignoring you. Still, I don’t think I’m supposed to-” 

“You’re in charge now!” Dean interrupted. “You can change the rules! Billie ain’t around to tell you what to do anymore, so you’ve gotta make some of your own decisions here. Like I said, you might not survive if Chuck ends up being successful in destroying everything, unless you decide to hide out in the-” He stopped, realising the other glaring problem that Jessica could help them with.

Sam quietly finished his sentence, “The Empty.”

“The Empty?” Michael echoed, furrowing his brow and squinting at the brothers. They nodded.

“Jack went to the Empty to go save Cas,” Sam began to explain, “and he’s getting other angels- maybe some demons- to build an army that will ultimately defeat God.”

Michael was silent, while Jessica looked down at the Book of Death, gingerly reaching out and picking it up. She ran her hand over the cover, feeling the raised design and intricate grooves. She glanced over at Dean, then at Sam, before finally sighing and peeking into the book. Slowly she opened it, glancing across the page with a small glow of wonder. She flipped through the pages, while the Winchesters watched on the edge of their seats in anticipation. Halfway through the book she stopped, skimming over the page silently. 

The brothers fidgeted, with Dean breaking the silence, “So what’s it say, Doc?” 

Jessica gently closed the book, looking up at him softly. She took a deep breath and answered, “Jack. Jack is the answer.”

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, while Michael furrowed his brow disapprovingly. “The nephilim? What does  _ it _ have to do with defeating my father?” 

Dean shot a glare in Michael’s direction, while Jessica responded, “Jack is the one who will ultimately defeat God. It’s almost as simple as that. However, Jack will need the power to be able to do so.” 

“And how do we get him that power?” Sam asked. 

“I believe I’ve said too much.” Jessica set the book down, stepping away from it as if it carried some disease or curse. “The answer will come to you in due time.” 

“You’re already  _ here _ , why can’t you just explain everything?” Dean growled, shaking his head. 

Death let out a sigh, fidgeting with her hands. “I don’t feel it would be right to tell you everything. Isn’t your goal to be able to figure things out for yourselves outside of fate?”

“Well this is different!” Dean barked, causing Sam to reach out a hand and signaling for him to calm down. Dean huffed, crossing his arms as he continued more quietly, “Isn’t there something else you can help us with? What about getting Jack and the others out of the Empty?” 

“Can they not get themselves out if they got themselves in?” 

“Going to the Empty is a one-way ticket unless you pull a few strings.” 

Jessica nodded solemnly, glancing around the room in hopes someone would agree with her stance. When no one spoke out in support of her side, she sighed, gazing down at the Book of Death on the table. 

“I’ll see what I can do.” she murmured. With that, she was gone, leaving the brothers and the archangel alone with their thoughts. 

… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed chapter two! I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying this so far! I apologise if the writing gets a bit messy in some places, since I'm still working out the nitty-gritty details outside of the main points I want to cover. I'm writing this as I go, while still keeping said points in mind, so some things might make less sense than others. If there's a glaring problem, I will try to go back and edit it. If there's something in particular you'd like to see, let me know! Thank you for reading thus far!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I apologise if I'm slow to keep adding, since I've never committed to a fanfic before. Feedback is welcome! I'd love to know what you think I should add, since I didn't exactly plan this out properly before writing. I'm mainly going off fan theories from before the final episodes aired, but I might get sidelined sometimes. I hope you like what I've done so far!


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